


Plant Daddy

by mander3_swish



Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Boys In Love, Bubble Bath, Developing Relationship, House Sitting, Idiots in Love, M/M, Plants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:28:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28949664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mander3_swish/pseuds/mander3_swish
Summary: Alex has to be out of town for a couple of weeks, so Michael agrees to take care of his plants and house-sit. He may also partake in few bubble baths.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Comments: 26
Kudos: 65
Collections: Michael Guerin is a Grower





	Plant Daddy

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the write-along (draw-along, sing-along, knit-along) event that was posted on the 18+ Roswell discord.

"Michael, I need a favor."

"Well hello to you too, Captain," Michael replied to Alex's brusque opening when he picked up the call.

"And that's why I need a favor. I'm headed to Colorado for a couple of weeks to assist with an op," Alex tried to explain. "It's not like I have to travel to where the action is happening or anything. I've probably already disclosed too much, but at least I know you can keep a secret," Alex said jokingly, trying to keep it light and friendly. 

"That I sure can."

"So I'm in a rush," Alex continued, "as I'm flying out on a cargo plane asap and I have to rush home first to pick up a few things."

"You need me to help you pack, or…?" Michael asked, his voice dripping with flirty innuendo as always.

"No, but I do need you to maybe look after my houseplants?"

"I guess… probably?" Michael replied hesitantly. 

"Look, the ones in the living room would likely be okay as they're some easy going snake plants and a dracaena. It's the ones in the reading room I'm a bit worried about." Alex started to explain. He couldn't quite get a handle on the proper care for them all, no matter how much research he'd done. Realistically they should all be easy, but who knows, he probably has a black thumb and the health of his snake plants are just a fluke. Plus, he just didn't want Kyle to look after them again since 3 of the plants looked like they died from overwatering last time he had his help (plus Kyle was working doubles the next week).

"Reading room?" Michael just had to bug Alex about that.

"I'm sorry I have so many rooms, but it has great light and tons of built-in shelves for both books and plants, so... reading room." 

"Alright, alright. Got it."

"And you know, since there's so. much. space, you could just stay there while I'm away if you want." Alex tried to sweeten the offer by mentioning that Michael could just stay and house-sit. 

Before Michael could beg off that, Alex mentioned that he could use his big tub, take a bubble bath… "I know how much you like my tub."

"It is big and spacious, but the thing I like most about it is you in it with me."

Alex nearly died at that, briefly considering a few dozen scenarios about how to get out of going to Colorado. 

"Well, think of it as you'll finally be able to take advantage of the truly relaxing aspects of the peaceful solitude of a bubble bath," he replied instead.

Michael definitely was not going to say no, but having Alex there with him certainly would have been better.

Before ending the call, they sorted out things about keys, locks, and the security system codes. "You can either pick up the keys from Kyle, or use the lock-pick in your brain," Alex proposed.

"Not a hard choice on that one," Michael said, 100 percent ready to use his alien powers to get into Alex's house. 

***

Michael didn't head over to Alex's until the next day, sure that it would be okay unmonitored during that short period of time. Plus, he needed to pack a few things himself and pick up some groceries if he was going to be staying there for 2 weeks. 

After putting his things away, he checked the yard and perimeter of the house. Since it was that uncertain time between winter and spring, the sparse garden beds still were not showing signs of springtime. It had been a cold few weeks, so nothing really to worry about out there.

When Michael finally checked out the reading room, he was surprised by the sheer number of plants in there. Some appeared to be overgrown arrangements of things, while others were in garish decorative pots. And then it clicked. These must have been condolence gifts from dumb, but well meaning neighbors and distant relatives who didn't know about how terrible Jesse Manes really was.

There was a whole mix of plants. Michael did his own bits of research on the plants, since Alex's instructions had been super vague. It was surprising how many of the plants needed high humidity, which they sure weren't getting in the dry desert air of Roswell. The only things that looked like they were doing okay were the arrangements of succulents, plus a few little cacti scattered on the windowsill, soaking up the rays of the warm afternoon sun.

Some things looked a little dry when he stuck his finger into the pots, so since it was sunny, he gave the ones that needed it a little drink. At the same time, he cleaned up any of the crispy leaves that were plaguing a few of the plant babies. The ones that needed the higher humidity (like the ferns - so many little ferns!), he relocated into Alex's master bathroom. It was pretty spacious after the remodel. The best part was that it had both a skylight and a large transom window on the east side, so it was nice and bright. Plus of course, the giant tub.

Michael couldn't help himself from getting lost in a memory of being with Alex in that very tub one evening, watching the stars brighten in the darkening sky outside of the skylight. He was warm and safe, surrounded by Alex's arms and the soft bubbles. Maybe if he did a good job with the plants, another stay-at-home date night might follow not too far behind.

The following day on his way home from Sander's, he picked up a spray bottle to help with the humidity issue. He had also found an old junked humidifier that he brought back to Alex's to tinker with, see if he could get it up and running again.

While talking to Isobel that day, she had been able to coerce the reason for his brooding nighttime absence from his firepit when she'd stopped by the night before to drag him to the Pony with her. He had mentioned the humidity issue, and there on Alex's doorstep was a box with a diffuser inside. The note from Isobel read: 'Something to help get you get all steamy while awaiting for your Captain to return.' 

"Gross. Isobel…" he lamented to himself. He really needed to take all the romance novels away from her. 

***

On Saturday, Michael decided to finally indulge in that bubble bath Alex had freely offered. He wandered in there with a mug of fresh coffee and just had to stop and marvel. Really, the master bathroom was absolutely the best, but now that it was accented with all of the greenery Michael had precisely placed throughout the room, it was a downright oasis. He couldn't wait to see the look on Alex's face when he arrived home. While the tub filled and bubbles frothed, Michael checked on the little plant babies, making sure the ferns in their new homes were doing okay, and that the one little rattlesnake calathea wasn't in any direct sun.

He decided to text Alex a picture of one of the aloes that seemed to be doing a bit better in all the light the bathroom offered. He couldn't help but to caption it 'Say aloe to my little friend.'

He really didn't expect to hear back from Alex. When he was away on assignments, he pretty much ghosted everyone. Which meant that Michael was usually in a perpetual state of worry, no matter what he did trying to distract himself. Living at Alex's this week had at least helped with the distracting part a little more easily and healthily.

And then his phone pinged with an incoming text.

[Alex] I was almost scared to open your text

[Michael] Were you hoping for something more scandalous? 🍆

And then Michael sent him another pic, but just of the sunbeams shining on the bubbles.

[Alex] Now you're just taunting me

[Michael] Just taking payment for all my hard work looking after all of your plants, which by the way are also mine now

[Alex] Ha sure. We can negotiate a visitation agreement when I'm back next weekend.

They continued to text off and on the following week. It was nice, just randomly chatting about inane things, knowing they weren't likely to get annoyed at each other or bored of each others' observations on things in their day to day lives.

***

When Alex arrived home, he was amazed by how everything looked. Each and every plant somehow looked healthier than he'd been able to do with them in the last 6 months. And Michael managed to get everything to thrive in mere days? From what the plant blogs had said, while you could easily kill a plant in that window of time, it usually took months for plants to rebound and look good and healthy after a stressful period. Hell, even his favorite snake plant had three new shoots sticking up out of the soil. 

Alex texted Michael immediately, inviting him over for dinner to say thank-you. 

When Michael walked into the house, Alex took his hands in his own. He brought them closer, giving them a close inspection.

"Hmmm, thought they'd be greener," Alex mused.

"Is that an alien crack?"

"No it's a how the hell aren't they green? As in, you must have a green thumb by the looks of all my plants that are now thriving.

"All my plants were growing so beautifully and vigorously when you looked after them. Now some of them already look sad and droopy now that they're back in my care," Alex lamented, gesturing to the flopped over dieffenbachia. "And it has only been about 4 hours since I got back. One of the ferns in the bathroom even has crispy leaves again."

"Hey, hey now," Michael said, taking back Alex's hands in his. "All I can say is that I myself, 100 percent, become vigorous and not at all droopy when you're around, if you catch my drift."

Alex ducked his eyes downward, slightly embarrassed by the not at all subtle euphemism, but at the same time fucking delighted that Michael felt that way about him.

"Should we go see what the problem might be?" 

"Besides me?" Alex asked, hating on himself.

"Nope! None of that," Michael said, shouting back at him as he made his way down the hall to the reading room.

**Author's Note:**

> I maaaay write a "and then they kiss, and then they have a bubble bath TOGETHER, and they fuck" follow-up (fingers crossed), but there is no guarantee. But never say never.


End file.
